waxbill

[ waks-bil ]

/ ˈwæksˌbɪl /

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noun

any of several small Old World finches, especially of the genus Estrilda, that have white, pink, or red bills of waxy appearance and are often kept as cage birds.

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Origin of waxbill

First recorded in 1745–55; wax¹ + bill²

Words nearby waxbill

wax, Waxahachie, wax and wane, wax bean, waxberry, waxbill, wax cap, waxcloth, waxen, waxer, waxeye

How to use waxbill in a sentence

The goldfinch, linnet, waxbill, and several others belong to this interesting tribe.
The Animal World, A Book of Natural History|Theodore Wood
This is the proper English name of the bird, although fanciers frequently call it the red waxbill.
Birds of the Plains|Douglas Dewar
The Indian red-munia or red waxbill or lal (Sporæginthus amandava) is another very small bird.
Birds of the Indian Hills|Douglas Dewar

British Dictionary definitions for waxbill

waxbill

/ (ˈwæksˌbɪl) /

noun

any of various chiefly African finchlike weaverbirds of the genus Estrilda and related genera, having a brightly coloured bill and plumage

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012